Modeling the Mechanical Behavior of Methane Hydrate-Bearing Sand Using the Equivalent Granular Void Ratio

For the safe extraction of methane from hydrate reservoirs, modeling mechanical behavior hydrate-bearing soil properly is crucial in order to enable designers analysis hydrate-dissociation-induced geotechnical failures. Hydrate morphology one major factors affecting containing hydrate. This paper presents a new constitutive model for sand (MHBS) using equivalent granular void ratio as state variable, which can quantify effects pore-filling and load-bearing under unifying framework. The proposed combination generalized plasticity an elastic damage so take into account observed frictional bonding aspects MHBS, respectively. By concept state-dependent dilatancy, formulated adopted model. In addition, nonlinear function implemented elucidate degradation bonds with respect shearing. Compared basic host sand, only three additional parameters are required capture key behaviors MHBS. comparing triaxial test results MHBS synthesized range sands predicted by model, it demonstrated that satisfactorily stress–strain volumetric different saturations, confining pressures, ratios.